In a few weeks, Kitechild’s co-founder, Jacqueline Herrera, will be going to Kenya! We’ve made a lot of progress since the last time we visited Kenya several years ago and now have future projects on the horizon. Here’s a look at some of the projects we’ll be visiting:

Welcome to the Family Home, where we’ll be running a water purification project.

We are currently working on a water purification project at the Welcome to the Family Home. Jacqueline will be visiting the home, as well as meeting with the surrounding community to see how they will be involved in the project. This project involves setting up the home to purify the water from their borehole, through a reverse osmosis process. The water will then be bottled into reusable containers and sold to the middle-class community that surrounds the home. The 44 children living at the home will now have access to their own clean water and the income generated through selling the water will pay for additional long-term staff. As many of these children come from abusive or traumatic backgrounds, the hiring of caretakers and social workers will be very important to the proper care of these children. Check out the project here. And stay tuned from live updates from Jacqueline, including her visit to a reverse osmosis treatment plant to show us the ins and outs of this innovative process.

The greenhouses and crops at the Fiwagoh Home.

Jacqueline will also be checking in with our greenhouse projects, while in Kenya. We have two greenhouse projects already up and running, at the Fiwagoh and Watoto Wema Homes. She will also be visiting the St. Catherine’s Home, where we are currently fundraising for a similar greenhouse project. This greenhouse project benefits 43 children living at the home in Nairobi. The vegetables grown at the greenhouse will first go to the kids to supplement their diets. The excess will then be sold in the markets and the income generated will pay for the school fees of the older children and to hire a social worker, who will help reintegrate the children back into the community. Learn more about this project here and check out our live updates from the home in the coming weeks.

The children at the Good Samaritan Home, receiving the LED bulbs.

Another home that Jacqueline is looking forward to visiting and updating you on is the Good Samaritan Home, located in the Soweto slums of Nairobi. We recently switched out 44 traditional light bulbs at the home, for LED lights. With the money saved on electrical costs, the home has been able to hire an additional caretaker for the infants and children at the home. We’re really proud of the change these light bulbs have brought and are looking forward to their bright futures.

With all of our projects, we’ll be keeping you posted with live updates, live videos from the field and more photos! We’re looking forward to checking in with you from Kenya!

We often get inquiries from kind-hearted people, who are looking to give back to vulnerable children. Seeing their photos and reading their stories touch many readers and motivate them to act. Volunteering is an important part of making a difference and using your abilities to better the world.

Some of the boys living at the Ashirvad Home in India.

Being a social media ambassador is a powerful way to spread information about vulnerable children and to tell others about the mission of Kitechild. By sharing our posts and telling your friends and family about us, you can help give a voice to these children. Other ways to help include hosting local events to raise funding or awareness for vulnerable children. We’re currently working on setting up campus programs to provide opportunities for volunteering across the country.

Kitechild volunteers on campus.

As you may have noticed, we haven’t listed visiting an orphanage among our volunteer opportunities. While it is a well-intentioned endeavor, it often has unintended negative results on the children. These children have often gone through personal traumas and difficulties, particularly from living without their families. Most people who travel to an orphanage to volunteer usually only go for a short period of time, which leaves the children with additional broken relationships and hardships.

Some of the children living at the HHK Home in Honduras.

There are other reasons why we don’t support sending volunteers to foreign country, otherwise known as voluntourism. Often, the volunteers don’t speak the same language as the children, which makes it difficult to engage in meaningful conversation. In addition, there are little to no regulations or background checks for foreign volunteers, which puts the children at risk for abuse.

Children living at the LAMP Home in India, where we currently have a solar lighting project.

Sometimes the best way to support a vulnerable child isn’t glamorous and won’t allow you the joy of playing and caring for the child in person. You can have a bigger impact on the lives of these children by supporting Kitechild, either through spreading the word or investing in a project. We currently have three active projects that need funding: a solar lighting project in India, a water purification project in Kenya and a greenhouse project in Kenya. These projects are sustainable and have meaningful impacts on the education, nutrition and quality of life of these children. Consider supporting one of our projects and joining us in transforming the lives of vulnerable children.

36 children in India now have a reinforced roof which is now ready to install solar lights, giving them electricity for the first time! Learn more about how this helps their education and safety: http://bit.ly/1WHhTmN‪

Did you know that 783 million people do not have access to clean water? That figure, given from the UN, is a sad reality for many on our planet, but a problem that Kitechild is addressing and has already helped hundreds of children have access to life-sustaining water.

Our clean water project in Kenya has provided clean water to over 200 children and the staff of the Fiwagoh Mission Home, located on the outskirts of Lake Naivasha. We installed 5 Lifestraw Community Filters at the home, which allowed them access to their own water. Since these children have had access to clean water, the number of waterborne illness has decreased and as a result, they have missed fewer days from school. Being able to succeed in the classroom is important for all children, but especially those in impoverished circumstances. Education is the key to more opportunities, to brighter futures and to empowerment.

The home can now save $2,400 USD per year, since they are no longer purchasing their own water supply. As a result, they have re-allocated these funds towards the salary of an additional caregiver. Our field liaison has kept us informed on the new caregiver, saying: “The savings from the process of purifying water through boiling or buying have been used to hire an extra caretaker called Beatrice Wanjiku. She previously worked on casual basis but now has been hired on permanent basis.” This is especially important for the home, as it is understaffed, and children thrive when given more adults, who can care and supervise them.

Like all projects, there are challenges that come up that need to be addressed. In this case, the well at the home was contaminated, which the home was able to fix through the use of the water filters. We’ve known the struggles, and also success, of partnering with this home, as we also have a greenhouse project, which provides the children with fresh produce and helps funds their education. Water, food and schooling are important human rights every child should have access to, and thanks to Kitechild supporters, there are now hundreds who do!

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Kitechild operates in developing countries under a sustainable empowerment model, partnering with communities and families in order to empower at-risk children and enable them to thrive. Funding and donor support is channeled directly into distinct projects that can include greenhouses, farms, renewable energy and similar efforts that encourage self-sufficiency and enrich the community at large. We meet our goal of helping each at-risk child reach his/her full potential and lead a dignified life, by providing access to education, quality nutrition, social support, and re-integration with family when possible.